Smart Driving Cars Podcast

With GM Cruise "substantially" cutting spending on Cruise autonomous mobility, should GM turn the keys over to someone else? The Dispatcher Publisher Michael Sena joins Princeton's Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin. Plus...Tesla's big truck week and troubles in Sweden, the upcoming book, The Real Case for Driverless Mobility...and more!

With the two co-founders having resigned, where does GM's Cruise go from here? GM CEO Mary Barra spoke to employees Monday. Forbes Senior Staff Writer Cyrus Farivar has had a listen and written about it. He joins Alain and Fred on episode 346 of Smart Driving Cars. Plus we add thoughts from The Dispatcher publisher Michael Sena. Tune in and subscribe.

With a group of his students on hand from the South Padre Island vantage point, Princeton's Alain Kornhauser joins Fred Fishkin to witness the second launch of Starship by SpaceX. Tune in and subscribe!

It's a special edition of Smart Driving Cars. A preview of the planned weekend launch of Starship. Princeton's Alain Kornhauser chats with co-host Fred Fishkin from Starbase in Boca Chica. Compared with autonomous vehicles... he says this is easy!

So much Cruise news and not much of it good. Where do robotaxi's go from here? Forbes senior staff writer Cyrus Farivar joins Princeton's Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin. Plus Waymo, Britain's Automated Vehicles Bill, Geely's Zeekr and more. Tune in and subscribe.

With "The Dispatcher" publisher Michael Sena looking at The Business of Transport Systems and whether Tesla or Toyota will be first to twenty million, episode 342 of Smart Driving Cars offers in depth insights. Michael joins Alain and Fred for that plus Geely, Waymo, Uber and more.

In the wake of an early October incident and action by the state of California, GM's Cruise has suspended robotaxi services. Where does it go from here? LA Times reporter Russ Mitchell joins Alain and Fred to discuss. Plus, Waymo cracking down on misbehaving riders and partners with Uber in Phoenix...and more. Tune in and subscribe.

What has China done to Swedish EV battery maker Northvolt AB? "The Dispatcher" publisher Michael Sena joins Alain and Fred for episode 340 of Smart Driving Cars. Plus...robotaxi travails in San Francisco, Honda plans robotaxis in Tokyo with GM and Cruise, Amazon delivering drugs by drone, Xpeng, Tesla and more.

Driverless car communication with pedestrians? On episode 339 of Smart Driving Cars, Princeton's Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin chat about a report in The Verge on how Waymo is doing it. Plus Bill Gates invests in Glydways, Tesla battery production breakthrough, Model Y ridesharing in Tampa & more. Tune in and subscribe!

What was Waymo thinking with a post about Waymo One and first dates? Princeton's Alain Kornhauser on that plus the costs of car ownership, Tesla, Lyft, Zeeker and more. Join Alain and co-host Fred Fishkin for episode 338 of Smart Driving Cars.

Driverless cars a tough sell? Not to people who need mobility. That's Alain's response to a piece in The Atlantic. Plus Mercedes Drive Pilot, Uber plays nice with taxi industry, Teamsters oppose Cruise Origin, Tesla, Microsoft and May Mobility. And Alain shares his IATR presentation- Modernizing the Giving of Rides.

With the swirling controversies surrounding robotaxis in San Francisco and beyond, some words of caution from Daniel Sperling. The University of California, Davis, founding Director of the Institute of Transportation Studies joins us for episode 336 of Smart Driving Cars. Plus Cruise, Waymo, Governor Newsome's climate lawsuit against oil, Tesla's Optimus robot and more.

How long will NHTSA take to approve the Cruise Origin exemption to build without a steering wheel or pedals? Fred Fishkin chats with the acting NHTSA administrator and co-host Alain Kornhauser and guest Ariel Wolf, who heads Venable's Autonomous and Connected Mobility practice offer insights. Plus Cathie Wood, Tesla, SpaceX and more.

Waymo and big re-insurer Swiss Re say Waymo's autonomous vehicles are safer than human drivers. Tesla's Dojo supercomputer sends shares higher. Cruise Origin on verge of getting okay. No steering wheels or pedals. Episode 334 of Smart Driving Cars with Princeton's Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin.

The Need for Driverless Vehicle Standards is the lead as The Dispatcher publisher Michael Sena joins us from Sweden for the latest Smart Driving Cars. More highlights from episode 333.. NHTSA, E-Fuels, China, Elon Musk demos the latest FSD and Bryce Rasmussen, Princeton '25, shows the results demo of the Interactive Person Trip Visualization tool from Princeton. Join Princeton's Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin...and subscribe!

How can communities plan for autonomous mobility systems? There's a new Interactive Person Trip Visualization developed at Princeton University and Bryce Rasmussen, class of '25, shows us how it works. Episode 332 of Smart Driving Cars with Alain Kornhauser and Fred Fishkin. Plus..Cruise, Waymo, San Francisco, Tesla and more.

Following a crash with an emergency vehicle and a request from the California Department of Motor Vehicles, GM Cruise cuts San Francisco robotaxi fleet in half. What Princeton's Alain Kornhauser suggests they should do next, plus Cruise losses, automated vehicle legal issues, Tesla and more. Tune in to Alain and co-host Fred Fishkin for the latest.

Robotaxi service in San Francisco gets the green light from the California PUC. Princeton's Alain Kornhauser outlines his testimony, where services go from here and more on episode 330 of Smart Driving Cars with co-host Fred Fishkin. Plus...the big UPS contract, Tesla and the continuing efforts develop automatic emergency braking that works.

Tampa Downtown Partnership head Shaun Drinkard and Florida Policy Project Founder Jeff Brandes join Princeton's Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin for a look at the new Tampa DASH service that will provide affordable mobility with a Tesla fleet of vehicles. Plus a preview of the Florida AV Summit, the latest headlines on Cruise, Waymo, Tesla, Luminar, NuView and more. Smart Driving Cars 329!

On episode 328 of Smart Driving Cars, we're at the Holman Emerge conference in NJ focused on start-ups and the future of driving, dealerships and mobility. Guests include Holman CEO Carl Ortell, President Chris Conroy, Homan Growth Ventures CEO Bill Cariss and Spiffy founder Scott Wingo.

A SF Taxi Alliance Board member takes a Waymo ride and says he felt extra safe! That's on top on episode 327 of Smart Driving Cars. That plus the latest from Cruise, Tesla, Uber, SpaceX and more. Join Princeton's Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin for the latest in autonomous mobility.

Some disability advocates are voicing support for expanded robotaxis in San Francisco, a SF paper pits Uber against Waymo in a race, Cruise begins testing in Miami, Tesla begins production of DOJO supercomputer and talks to a major automaker about licensing Full Self Driving. That and more on episode 236 of Smart Driving Cars with Princeton's Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin.

Following a trip to the TRB Symposium in San Francisco and robo-taxi rides with Cruise and Waymo, Princeton's Alain Kornhauser declares they have passed the Turing (Kornhauser) Test of Proof of Technology. Now, he says, it is time for Proof of Market. How? Episode 325 of Smart Driving Cars with co-host Fred Fishkin

"Safe Street Rebels" are disrupting robotaxis in San Francisco, Elon Musk says FSD is almost here...probably this year, TRB Symposium approaches, VW to test self driving in Austin and more. Tune in to episode 324 of Smart Driving Cars with Princeton's Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin.

Robotaxis and first responders. The San Francisco situation with Waymo and Cruise. And focusing on solving mobility needs could generate more public support. Russ Mitchell of the L.A. Times joins Princeton's Alain Konrhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin for episode 323 of Smart Driving Cars.

What were the takeaways when a Nissan Leaf owner picks up a Model 3 from a Hertz rental counter? Ken Pyle, managing editor of Viodi, tells us first hand. Plus more on Tesla, Mobileye, Cruise and Waymo and an interactive data visualization demo on mobility demand from Princeton student Bryce Rasmussen. Episode 322 of Smart Driving Cars.

A look at the innovative Cruise Origin from CARTS Mobility's Jerry He, dissecting the market for autonomous mobility, Tesla's rocket ride and more. Join Princeton's Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin for episode 321 of Smart Driving Cars.

NHTSA begins the rule process to require automatic emergency braking that works even at highway speeds. That and more on episode 320 of Smart Driving Cars. Guest Roger Lanctot, director Automotive Connect Mobility, Global Automotive Practice at TechInsights joins Princeton's Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin.

Is vehicle to vehicle communication needed? Ford's electric vehicle issues even as it strikes a deal with Tesla. The Model Y becomes a global top seller while Elon Musk's Neuralink wins FDA approval for chip implant trials. The Dispatcher publisher Michael Sena joins Princeton's Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin for those stories and more on episode 319 of Smart Driving Cars.

On episode 318 of Smart Driving Cars: Futurist Chunka Mui says don't fall for the hype on generative AI...but don't be complacent. Plus the Mobileye deal with Porsche, Tesla's driver monitoring, Elon's CNBC interview and headlines from Waymo, Cruise and Lyft. Join Princeton's Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin for the latest.

Smart Driving Cars episode 317 Waymo, Cruise, Elon and more. Join Princeton's Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin for the latest on autonomy, mobility and more.

Grayson Brulte, head of The Road to Autonomy, selects S&P Dow Jones to be the custom calculations agent for indices. He joins Princeton's Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin to discuss that plus the outlook for autonomous mobility and industry, trucking and more. Plus the latest Smart Driving Cars Summit news. Tune in and subscribe.

Episode 315 of Smart Driving Cars: There's a new book on the way from Princeton's Alain Kornhauser and Michael Sena, publisher of The Dispatcher. Mobility for the Non-mobile. Plus, Alain on what was learned from the SpaceX Starship launch, Cruise is now offering driverless transportation around the clock in San Francisco and more details on this spring's Princeton Smart Driving Cars Summit.

A step towards our journey to Mars. And it relates to mobility. Princeton's Alain Kornhauser was there for the inaugural launch of #Starship from Starbase in Texas. His thoughts on the achievement by SpaceX and Elon Musk as Alain joins co-host Fred Fishkin for episode 314 of Smart Driving Cars.

Some praise for Cruise and the voluntary recall, a battle for Waymo and Aurora, Didi Robotaxis, Tesla, Space X and the coming Princeton Smart Driving Cars Summit. All in episode 313 of Smart Driving Cars with Princeton's Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin.

Baidu Apollo is now operating in three cities in China including Beijing providing fully driverless rides to passengers. Helen Pan, GM of Baidu Apollo Autonomous Driving USA joins Alain and and Fred and Jerry He of CARTS Mobility to discuss the progress and plans. Join us for the wide ranging discussion plus the latest on the upcoming 6th Annual Smart Driving Cars Summit!

With Elon Musk and others joining the Future of Life Institute in calling for a pause in AI development, what's next? The Dispatcher publisher Michael Sena joins Alain Korhauser and Fred Fishkin from Sweden to discuss that plus a freeze on ICE, Ford, Bill Gates and more. Episode 311 of Smart Driving Cars.

Where does autonomous mobility go from here? Princeton's Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin explore...plus Ford's EV losses, SMART grants fail to fund autonomous mobility, Waymo, drones & more.

Following the The Future Networked Car ITU Symposium, committee member and moderator Michael Sena joins Alain and Fred for episode 309 of Smart Driving Cars. And a National Disability Institute study on how autonomous mobility could help millions join the workforce. Plus GM Cruise, Gatik and Krogers, Baidu and more.

In this special edition of Smart Driving Cars, Princeton's Alain Kornhauser takes us to Boca Chica, Texas and pays a visit to Starbase, the SpaceX Spaceport.

GM says Ultra Cruise will arrive with the 2024 Cadillac Celestiq and will ultimately enable hands free driving in 95 percent of driving situations.  Ultra Cruise chief engineer Jason Ditman joins Alain and Fred for episode 307 of Smart Driving Cars.  He tackles the tough questions and issues.  Plus Cruise Robotaxi unit cutting costs, NHTSA probing Zoox self certification and Embark winding down.

Waymo passes a million miles with Waymo Driver and issues a safety report. Tesla addresses investors and the future, Ford creates Latitude AI and more. Join Princeton's Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin for episode 306 of Smart Driving Cars.

With shrinking populations and vacant office space, Michael Sena says the de-industrial revolution has begun.  "The Dispatcher" publisher and consultant joins Alain Kornhauser & Fred Fishkin for episode 305 of Smart Driving Cars.  Plus...run flat tires, GM's Cruise Origin, Locomation, Tesla and more.

She was among the first female fighter pilots in the Navy, was recently a senior NHTSA safety advisor, and is a professor of engineering and computer science.   Missy Cummings is worried that ADAS technology is causing more people to speed.   What to do? Dr. Cummings joins Alain and Fred to discuss. Plus the latest from Zoox, Tesla and more.

Ford's BlueCruise comes out on top in an evaluation of active driving assistance systems by Consumer Reports.   Manager of Vehicle Technology Kelly Funkhouser joins us for a look at what car makers are getting right and getting wrong.   Plus.. Tesla, Mobileye, autonomous planes and more.

Robotaxi chaos in San Francisco?  Tesla boosting production in China. Level 3 launch from Mercedes.  Layoffs at Rivian.  More SpaceX success!  Join us for episode 302 of Smart Driving Cars with Princeton's Alain Kornhauser & co-host Fred Fishkin.

Driverless work vehicles advance while driverless passenger cars seem stalled.   The Dispatcher publisher Michael Sena joins Alain and Fred on episode 301 of Smart Driving Cars for that, plus Tesla rebounds, Ford's Blue Cruise impresses and more.

Episode 300 of Smart Driving Cars!  Alain returns from Africa, Mobileye eyes robotaxis in Israel and beyond, Tesla demand rises after price cuts, Mercedes talks level 3 and Toyota Boshoku shows future mobility for all. Tune in and subscribe!

Episode 299 of Smart Driving Cars rolls in with Buffalo advancing plans for autonomous shuttles, Tesla becoming the number one luxury car brand in the U.S., concept self driving cars plus interviews from CES with Holon and Ottonomy.  Join Alain Kornhauser and Fred Fishkin for the ride.   Thanks to Ken Pyle and Dr. Elizabeth Monroe.

CES 2023 brought out crowds and innovation once again.   The Smart Driving Cars team, with Alain Kornhauser, Ken Pyle and Dr. Elizabeth Monroe, caught up with  Halo.car, Stradvision, Zoox and more.   With videos courtesy of Viodi, Alain joins Fred Fishkin for a look as the Smart Driving Cars newsletter begins its second decade.